Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Yutaka Kobayashi resigned Tuesday from the House of Councilors after his accountant and a member of his campaign staff were charged with violating election laws in connection with the July 29 race.
The development comes as yet another blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the LDP president, after Takehiko Endo resigned as farm minister Monday only a week into his job, becoming the fifth Cabinet minister to step down since Abe took power last September. All were undone by money scandals.
"Taking a serious view of the indictment of two of my staffers, I submitted my letter of resignation," Kobayashi, 43, told a news conference in Yokohama. "I have judged it better to resign as a lawmaker at this point as it could otherwise cause stagnation in national politics."